Safety-indicator and license-bracket.



Patenfed Jan. 14, 1919.

Ni M. JOHNSON & T. 'S'. QUINl SAFETY INDICATOR AND UCENSEBRACKET.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY s1 .j vehicles and has `for itsobject theprovision narran sra'rns refrains ernten.

NELS TVI. JOHNSON AND THOMAS S. QUIN, OF CHCAGO, ILLINOS.

SAFETY-INDICATOR .AND LICENSE-BRACKET.

'- jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafety-indicators and License-Brackets, of which the following 1s a-specitication This invention relates to an indicator for offa deviceadapted to normally serve as a tail light for the vehicle and which isreadily controllable to indicate to persons in the rear of the vehiclethe intended movements of the driver thereof.

A further object of our invention is the provision of means forelectrically controljling'a device of the character above describedwhereby the driver et the lvehicle may indicate his intention with aminimum .of ei'iort.

A further object of our invention is the provision of means forutilizing the indicater to support and illuminate a license plate.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent as itis better understood by reference to the following specification whenread in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating` thepreferred embodiments thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a `front elevation,partially in section, of an indicator according to our invention;

Fig 2 is a section on the line 2-2 `of Fig. 1;

Fig. Fig., l;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical circuits.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, 1 indicates a casing which maybe of any suitable construction andwhich preferablyv presents asemi-cylindrical front portion as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Anopening 2 is -provided in the semi-cylindrical front portion which iscovered by a glass 3 secured b v suitable clips 4to the casing.

-The end 6 of the casing 1 is provided with a socket 7 to receive andsupport an 3 is a section on the line `3--3 of Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Jan. 14k, g.

l Application filed July 31, 1916. Serial No. 112,253. u

electric lamp 8 which projects into the casing 1 and is supplied withcurrent through the conductors 9 from any suitable source. The end G isfurther provided with a bearing 10 to receive a trunnion 11 formed on avsegmental end 12 to the periphery of which a semi-cylindrical member 13is secured.

The opposite edge of the member 13 is secured to a segmental end 14fastened to a shaft 15 which is journaled in a bearing 16 in the end 17ofthe casing 1. The semicylindrical member 13 is thereby rotatablymounted in the casing 1.

'.llhe semi-cylindrical member 13 is providedl with cut out symbols 18,19, 20 and 21 spaced apart about its periphery, the symbol its' beingmerely an elongated opening, the symbols 19 and 2O being leftV andrightJiand arrows, respectively, and the symbol 21 being` the word StopThe-symbols are adapted to be selectively interposed between the lamp 8and the opening 2 in the casing v1 and when so interposed an illuminatedsignal is displayed whichdndi- Cates to persons in the rear of thevehicle the intention of the driver thereof.

The 'means for rotating the member 13 to selectively display'the symbolscomprises a solenoid 22 supported on a suitable bracket 23' fastened tothe interior of thel casing 1 and a core 23 adapted to cooperate withthe solenoid 22 and secured at one end to an arm 24 fastened to theshaft 15. A. spring a 25 surrounding the shaft 15 is secured at one endtothe end 17 of the casing 1 and at the other to the arm 24 and servesto retain the member 13 in position with lthe elongated opening 18interposed between the lamp S andthe opening 2 in the Casing 1. This isthe ordinary tail light and with my device indicates that the driverintends to continue in motion or at rest asthe Iease may be.

' Secured to the end 17 of the casing 1 in spaced relation are a pair ofsolenoids 26 each provided with a core 27 which is normally held in theposition indicated in Fig. 1 by a spring 28 surrounding the core. Theinwardly directed ends of the cores 27 are adapted when-the solenoids 26are energized to project into he path of the arm 24.

and selectively limit the rotation of the arm 21 and consequently of themember 13 to interpose the left or right hand arrows 19 and 20 betweenthe lamp 8 and the opening 2 in the casing l.

To control the operation of the solenoids 22 and 26 a switch 29 islocated preferably on or adjacent the steering column and is providedwith a plurality of buttons 30.' 31 and 32 adjacent which the symbolsStop and the right and left-hand arrows are marked on the switch 29. Thebuttons 30 and 32 are connected by conductors 33 and 34 to the solenoids26 and 22 in series. From the solenoid 22 a conductor 35 leads to abattery 36 or other source of current which is in turn connected by aconductor 37 to a bar 38 on the switch 29 with which the buttons 30 and32 are adapted to contact to close the respective circuits. The button31 is connected by a conductor 39'to the solenoid 22 alone, whence thecurrent passes through the previously described path to the bar 38.

From' the foregoing description of the structure it will be apparentthat when the button 81 is depressed current from the battery 36 willenergize the solenoid 22 and the core 23 will consequently be drawn intothe solenoid to thereby rotate the member 13 until the symbod 21,indicating that the driver is about to stop, isinterposed between thelamp and the opening 2in the casing 1. If the driver intends to turn tothe right the button 30 is depressed and one of the solenods 26 will beenergized simultaneously with the energization of the solenoid 22. Thecore 27 will thereupon be projected into the path of the arm 24 andinasmuch as the path of movement of the core is very much less than thenecessary movement of thefcore 23 it will be apparent that the arm 24will be arrested at the desired position with the symbol 20 interposedbetween the lamp 8 and the opening 2 in the casing 1. When the button 32is depressed the operation will be similar, the other solenoid 26 beingenergized and the symbol 19 will be interposed between the lamp 8 andthe opening 2 in the casing 1.

,The portion of the lamp 8 facing the opening 2 in the casing 1 may besuitably colored, for example thelusual red, so that the signals willappear in this color. Brackets 40 are provided on the casing 1 adjacentvthe rear thereof to support a license plate 41 and an opening 42 in thevbottom ofthe casing 1 permits illumination of the plate41 by the lamp8.

It will be readily appreciated that I have perfected a safety indicatorand license bracket for vehicles which by reason of its simplicity ofconstruction and easeof operation is extremely desirable and willprevent before described being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

l7e claim: A

1. In an indicator for vehicles, the combination of a casing providedwith a transparent portion, an electric lamp projecting into said casingfrom one end thereof, a member -having a plurality of signals thereonand mounted to swing in said casing between the transparent portionthereof and the lamp, a

sha-ft at the other end of the casing rigid with said member, an arm onsaid shaft, a

main solenoid having a core connected to said arm and adaptedV to beoperated to rock said shaft, auxiliary solenoids having their coresarranged to project in the pathY of movement of said arm, land means forencrgizing the main solenoid alone or in combination with one of saidauxiliary solenoids.

2. In an indicator for vehicles, the combination of a casing providedwith a transparent portion, an electric lamp projecting into said casingfrom 011e end thereof, a member having a plurality of signals thereonand mounted to swing in said casing between the transparent portionthereof and the lamp, a shaft journaled in the other end of said casingand connected rigidly to the adjacent end of said member, an arm on saidshaft, a main arcuate solenoid having an arcuate core connected to saidarm and adapted to be operated to rock said shaft, auxiliary solenoidsarranged in an angular relation to the main solenoid with their coresarranged to project in the path of movement of said arm, and means forenergizing the main solenoid alone or in combination with one of saidauxiliary solenoids.

3. In an indicator' for vehicles, the combination of a casing ,novidedwith a transparent portion, an electriclamp mounted in one end of saidcasing and projecting into the casing, a member having a plurality ofVshaft connected to the end of said core, a solenoid alone or incombination with one pair of auxiliary solenoids mounted in the 'of saidauxiliary solenoids.

upper portion of that end of the casing in NELS M. JOHNSON. which theshaft is j ournaled, sprinlgT pressed THOMAS S. QUIN. cores in saidauxiliary solenoids adapted to Witnesses:

be projected in the path of movement of ERNEST H. MERCHANT,

said arm, and means for energizingthe main W. T. WESTERBERG.

